Assigstoii to c



H A. CLUM.

SWIYCH MECHANISM FOR MHOMUEHLE UGHTING SYSTEMS.

APHJCATH)" FILED SEPT-29 19 FW 7 1,194,480. Patented Aug. 10, :i--a

2 SHEETS-SHEET UNITED s'rA'rEs ra'rssir FFICE.

HARRY A. CLUM, OF WAUWATOSA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNK DR- TO GLUM MA NUFACTURING COMPANY "OF WA.UWATOSA, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATIOK OF WISCONSIN.

To all who'm it may concern: I

Be it known'that I, HARRY A..CLUM, a'

i citizen of the United States, residing at VVauwatosa, county of Milwaukee, and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements. in Switch Mechanisms for Automobile-Lighting Systems, of which the following. is a specification.

My invention relates to. improvementsin switch mechanisms forautomobile lighting systems.

ing the binding posts forthe several circuit" connections Fig. 3 is a sectional view drawn on line a:-w of Fig. 1.- Fig. A is a detail view showing the casing 'i'nverted, withdisks 27 and 6, and theQcontact carriers remdved. Fig. 5 is a detail view, (upper side), showing the lever actuated carriers in which the travelingcontacts are,.,1nounted= Fig. 6 is a plan, view of the bottom disk which carries the stationary contacts and the binding posts shown in Fig. 2. Fig, '1 is a diagram of the circuit-connections in their relation to said binding posts and to the stationary contacts shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a detail view of the movable member with the carriers'omitted, showing the base or bottom disk in section. "Fig. 9 is a detail view of one of the carriers partly in section and showing the means for bonding the contact pins. 1

Like parts are identified by the. same ref erence characters throughout the several views.

The switch proper will be first described.

This comprises a casing 1 provided with a dial capfQ, having a central -rotary"'member 3 to which the switch lever 4 is connected. Within the casing, the member 3 is provided with a disk 6 having depending carriers 7 and 8, the under surfaces of which are socketed to receive the traveling contact Specification of Letters Patent.

SWITCH MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOBILE-LIGHTING SYSTEMS.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Application filed September 29, 1913. Serial No. 792,279. 7

members, saidrnembers being seated in the carrier sockets against the tension of springs 9. The carrier 7 is provided with four of these contact members-14, 17, 18 and 19 respectively. The, carrier 8 is pro- .vided with three of these members 22, 23 and 25 respectively, in the construction illustrated. These contacts are disposed upon the carriers in proper positions to serve as circuit closers 1n the various positions of lever adjustments hereinafter described. They travel in a circular path upon 'the'base or bottom disk 27, which is provided with stationary contact members 30, 33, 34, 36,

37, 40 and il.. These contacts are arranged in a circular path in connection with dead points 31, 32, 35, 38 and 39, which points, taken with the contacts, constitute a twelvestep circular series of position points. The

, contacts 33 and 34 are electrically connected witheach. other, and the contacts 40 and 41 are also electrically connected with each other, as indicated in each instanceby bridginginember 42. The contact members on the -carr1ers are arranggd in such correspondence with this series that each will register with'one or another of these position points inany position of lever adjustment, whereby circuits may be established as hereinafter explained.

The battery or other source of electrical energy has one pole connected with thesta tionary "contact member 36 and the other pole connected with the central contact member 43. Contact member 30-is.provided with a resilient tongue 44: which projects over the central member 43. and is adapted to be depressed into contact with it by a push button 45 mounted in the rotary cap member 3. There-are two of these push buttons 45 and 46, and their lower ends are connected with the respective arms of a central pivoted lever 47, supported by the member 3.- The lever arm to which push button 45- is connected, carries a depending projection 49 which, when depressed, bears upon the tongue 44 and presses it downwardly to contactme'mber 43. The tongue 44 is insulated electficallv connects up contact members 43 and30. lVhen push button 26 is depressed, 1

frongthe projection 49, but when depressed 44 automatically lifts by its own resiliency from contact 43, thus breaking this connection with number 30. g

In normal position, button 46 will be depressed. Lever 4 will be in off position, as

indicated in Fig. 1, with contacts 14, 17 and 18 on carrier 7 in registry with fixed contacts 30, 33 and 34, while contact on carrier 8 will be in registry with fixed contact 41. If push button 45 be now depressed to connect up fixed contacts 43 and through the tail, dash and head lamps of the auto mobile, as indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 7,- the head lamps being connected in series in such circuits, the circuits will be as follows :from generator (or battery) terminal 43 to contact 30, to tail fuse 50, to tail lamps 51 and dash lamps 52, switch board plate 53, and back to generator, or through the generator to the battery. Also from contact 30, through carrier 7, to contact 34, with which carrier contact 18 registers, and

from contact 34 to dimmer fuse 55, to switch board post 56, head lamps 57 and 58, switch 25 board plate 53, and back to battery (or generator). In this circuit the lead lamps 57 and 58 will be in series and will therefore burn dimly. Assuming now that switch lever be moved one step to the left, it will be observed that contact 19 on carrier 7 will -move into registry with battery fixed contact 36. Traveling contact 14 on carrier? .will move out of registry with fixed contact 30, but traveling contact 25 on carrier 8 will have moved into registry with contact 30. Circuits through the same lamps will now be established as follows :from contact 30 through carrier 8 to contact 40,, to head lamp .fuse 60, to switch board post 61, to lamp'58,

switch board plate 53, and back to battery (or; generator).

{post '61 through lamp 57,to switch board .post'56, dimmer fuse 55, fixed contact 34 and carrier 7,which now bridges this contact 45 "through contacts 17 and 19 to battery fixed contact 36. The head lamps being now connected in parallel through independent circuit connections from switch board post 61, it is obvious that they will burn brightly. The circuit through the tail and dash lamps remains the same, as above described. Should the switch lever now be moved a sec 0nd step to the left, (or to its third posi- 'tion), carrier 8 will no longer bridge from Also from switch board,

'37 through the traveling contacts 14, 17 and v 18. This closes all the circuits by combining those described in the second and third ositions of lever adjustment. If the push button 46 be now depressed to disconnect contacts 30 and 43, all the circuits will be broken except that through the side lamps which will be established by the bridge from p 36 to 37 and through the lamps and switch board posts 67 and 68. I am thus enabled, by employing the two push buttons in connection with the switch lever, to secure six different results with a lever adjustment in but four positions. In the first or normal position, all'the lamps may be extinguished,

or with push button 45 depressed, the head, tail and dash lamps may be lighted with the head lights dimmed. With the lever in the second position, the same lamps will be lighted, but all will be bright, the difference being accomplished by connecting up the,

head lights in parallel. With the lever in the third position, the head lamps will be extinguished and the side lamps lighted.- W'ith the lever in the fourth position,all the lamps may be lighted with. button 45 depressed, or the side lamps only lighted-' if button 46 is depressed.

Referring again to the switch proper as illustrated in Figsjl to 6 inclusive, it will be observed that the casing is provided with a series of abutments 70 to 74 inclusive, these abutments having rounded surfaces over which a resiliently supported roller 75, connected with the cap member 3, is adapted to travel. The roller 75 is socketed in a portion 76 of the member 3, and is held in contact with the projections 70 to 74 by a spring actuated pin 79. Said pin and its actuating spring 80 are socketed in the part 76 back of the roller 7 5, and a cam 81 back of the pin 79 is provided with an upwardly projecting post 82, which extends to the exterior through the cap member 3 and is adapted to receive a key 84. By inserting the key 84 in the post, as illustrated in Fig. 3, said post may be rotated to adjust the cam 81 in a position to prevent .a retraction of pin 79,

whereupon roller 75 will be locked between two of the casing projections,and the switch lever cannot then be moved until the key is again inserted and the cam rotated to a position where it will permit pin 79 to move inwardly in opposition to the pressure of sprin 80.

Re erring to Fig. 9, it will be observed that the carrier contact members are cupshaped and receive the socketed springs 9. The carriers are provided with channels 5 to receive a bonding cable 90, which passes through the several contact members of any given set.

I claim:-

1. A switch for automobile circuits, coniprising a set of fixed abutments, an oscil- Eatery member, a resilient bearing member connected therewith and adapted to move over said abutments and partially engage between them, a pin controlling the retractlve movements of the bearing member, a cam mounted in the oscillatory member and adapted to move into and out of a locking position with reference to the pin and bearing member, and a key receiving member connected with the cam; said cam being otherwise inaccessible.

2. A switch for automobile systems, provided with an oscillatory member in combination with a cam mounted therein and provided with a key receiving post accessible from the exterior, a positioning piece carried by the oscillatory member, and means for utilizing the cam to lock the positioning piece in any desired adjustment.

3. A switch for automobile lighting systems, provided with an oscillatory member in combination with a cam mounted therein and provided with a key receiving post accessible from the exterior, a positioning piece carried by the oscillatory member, means for utilizing the cam to lock the positioning piece in any desired adjustment, and a set of contact terminals selectively cooperative with the oscillatory member.

4. A switch mechanism for automobile lighting systems, comprising the combina tion of a set of stationary electrodes, arranged circularly in a pair of groups, and an auxiliary electrode, a pair of carriers provided with resilient contact devices adapted to slide over said electrodes, means for oscillating said carriers, and a set of push buttons adapted to selectively connect or disconnect the auxiliary electrode with one of the grouped electrodes and through the carriers with other electrodes in said groups.

,5. A switch mechanism, including a base having a centrally disposed electrode, a series of electrodes circularly grouped about the central electrodes, a swinging switch member adapted to connect and disconnect the central electrode with one of those in the series, a set of push buttons operativcly connected with the swinging switch mem ber and adapted to actuate the same into and out of connecting relation to the central electrode and said series electrode, and an oscillatory carrier provided with a plurality of groups of contact members adapted for selective registry with electrodes in said series.

6. A switch mechanism. including a base having a centrally disposed electrode, a se ries of electrodes circularly grouped about the central electrodes. a swinging switch member adapted to connect and disconnect the central electrode with one of those in the series, a set of push buttons operatively connected with the swinging switch member and adapted to actuate the same into and out of connecting relation to the central electrode and said series electrode. and an oscillatory carrier provided with a plurality of groups of contact members adapted for selcctive registry with electrodes in said series, said central electrode being adapted, when connected with one of the series electrodes, to electrically modify the relation of the series electrodes to each other.

In testimony whereof I allix my v ignature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY A. FLY.

\Vitnesscs:

LEvnRs'rr nsulin, HELEN C. VAN .h' 

